From Playing Games to Building Infrastructure — The Fathm Story

 

What began as childhood gaming sessions in Kokrajhar, Assam, has evolved into a mission to build infrastructure that could reshape independent game development across India — and the two friends behind it are only getting started.

In the quiet town of Kokrajhar, Assam, two childhood friends spent their early years doing what many children do — playing games, exploring technology, and dreaming about what they might build one day. For Jigmi Brahma and Prasanta Ray, those early gaming sessions were not just entertainment. They were the beginning of a journey that would lead them to build something far bigger than themselves: a gaming infrastructure platform designed to help independent developers across India find their audience.

The journey began years before Fathm Private Limited was registered in 2026. Brahma, now 16, started building his first gaming platform — Pixly — at age 11. It was an ambitious project for someone so young, and it taught him something that would shape his approach to entrepreneurship: building in isolation is risky, and feedback is essential.

"I spent so much time building things and had no idea if anyone would ever play them," Brahma said. "That feeling of building in the dark — that's what drove me to create something different."

Ray, now 18, was on a parallel path. He had been working with servers, networks, and infrastructure since his early teens, building multiplayer gaming systems like PG Servers and PG SMP — platforms that gave him hands-on experience in managing the kind of scalable infrastructure that most engineers don't encounter until well into their careers. By the time he founded CodelithLabs, an open-source software organization, in 2025, Ray had already accumulated over seven years of technical experience.

The two friends had known each other since childhood, but it was their shared passion for gaming and technology that brought them together as co-founders. They recognized a problem that had frustrated both of them: independent game developers in India lacked the tools and feedback needed to validate their concepts before committing to full-scale production.

That recognition became the foundation of Fathm. The platform they built offers independent game developers a structured pathway from concept validation to publication, using game jams and player feedback sessions to help developers understand what players actually want before they invest significant resources in building. It is, in essence, a validation engine — one that gives developers a clear signal about whether their ideas are worth pursuing.

"We grew up playing games and building things," Brahma said. "And we realized that the hardest part of being a developer isn't building — it's knowing whether anyone actually wants what you're building. That's what Fathm solves."

The decision to build Fathm from Kokrajhar was deliberate. The founders wanted to prove that technology companies could be built from Northeast India without relocating to traditional startup hubs like Bangalore or Mumbai. Their geography, they believe, is not a disadvantage but a differentiator — evidence that talent and ambition exist everywhere.

"People often assume you need to be in a big city to build something meaningful," Ray said.

"We're showing that's not true. You can build from anywhere. The internet makes it possible, and the ambition makes it real."

For Ray, the technical challenge of building Fathm has been matched by the significance of where it is being built. His expertise in Linux, cloud infrastructure, and DevOps has been essential in creating a platform that is scalable, secure, and capable of supporting developers across India.

The technical infrastructure he has built is designed to grow with the platform — starting small, but capable of handling increased demand as more developers discover Fathm.

The founders' journey from childhood friends playing games in Kokrajhar to co-founders of a gaming infrastructure company is still in its early chapters. Fathm launched in 2026, and the platform is currently in its early stages, with development work underway and a growing focus on outreach to the independent game development community across India.

Yet, even in these early stages, the founders' vision is clear. They are building infrastructure that can support developers wherever they are — whether in Bangalore, Mumbai, or a smaller city like Kokrajhar. They are proving that founders from Northeast India can build companies that matter.

Further information about Fathm and its platform is available at fathm.net, and updates on the company's progress can be followed on LinkedIn and X.

"We started playing games because we loved them," Brahma said. "And now we're building something that helps other people build the games they love. That's the full circle — from playing to building, and now helping others do the same."

Fathm Private Limited is a gaming infrastructure company based in Kokrajhar, Assam, founded in 2026 by Jigmi Brahma and Prasanta Ray. The platform helps independent game developers validate their game concepts through structured player feedback, game jams, and publishing support. For more information, visit fathm.net.

Follow Fathm on LinkedIn and X for updates on their journey.